Surgical instrument with suction control

ABSTRACT

A surgical device includes an outer member, an inner member, and at least one locking element. The inner member is at least partially supported within the outer member. The at least one locking element is configured in a first arrangement of the surgical device to lock the inner member in a first position and configured in a second arrangement of the surgical device to unlock the inner member from the first position. The at least one locking element is configured to change from the first arrangement to the second arrangement upon coupling the inner member in an operational arrangement to a hand piece.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/580,185, filed on Dec. 6, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No.10,799,264, which is a national stage application, under 35 U.S.C. §371, of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2016/037372, filed onJun. 14, 2016, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/181,565, filed on Jun. 18, 2015.The entire contents of each of the above-identified applications arehereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Some surgical devices are adapted to aspirate fluid (or fluid andtissue) through a lumen in the surgical device. Endoscopic cuttingsystems include a cutting blade that can be removably coupled to a drivehousing, and the drive housing can be removably coupled to a hand piecethat includes a motor. The drive housing and the hand piece areconfigured to rotate and possibly translate the cutting blade. Some ofthe cutting blades include an outer tube having a cutting window whereintissue drawn into the cutting window is resected and aspirated throughthe lumen of the cutting blade. The lumen is connected to a source ofnegative pressure (e.g., suction) that is used to aspirate tissue anddistention or irrigation fluid. When the cutting window is open, thesuction draws fluid (or fluid and tissue) out of the surgical site inorder to maintain or improve visualization. While suction is desirableduring cutting, it is not desirable when a user (e.g., a surgeon) is inthe process of inserting the cutting blade into the endoscope at thebeginning of the procedure, during the procedure when the user does notwant suction, or when the user removes the cutting blade at the end ofthe procedure. In these instances, the motor is not energized and thecutting blade is not rotating.

If the cutting window or an outflow opening is open when then blade isinserted (or removed), the suction can cause uncontrolled fluid lossresulting in a loss of organ distention and increased turbulence, whichreduces visualization. To avoid these problems, prior to inserting thecutting blade, a user must check (e.g., by visual inspection) andmanually rotate the cutting blade to a window-closed position.

A need exists, therefore, for a locking mechanism in a surgical devicethat locks the drive housing in a suction-control position to providesuction control during insertion and/or removal of the surgical device,and when the surgical device is within the patient but not rotating(e.g., not cutting).

SUMMARY

According to some implementations of the present disclosure, a surgicaldevice is disclosed that includes an outer member, an inner member, andat least one locking element. The inner member is at least partiallysupported within the outer member. The at least one locking element isconfigured in a first arrangement of the surgical device to lock theinner member in a first position and configured in a second arrangementof the surgical device to unlock the inner member from the firstposition. The at least one locking element is configured to change fromthe first arrangement to the second arrangement upon coupling the innermember in an operational arrangement to a hand piece.

According to additional implementations of the present disclosure, asurgical device is disclosed that includes an outer member and an innermember. The inner member is at least partially supported and moveablewithin the outer member. The surgical device further includes a flexiblearm coupled to one of the outer member and the inner member. Thesurgical device also includes a recess within a surface of the other oneof the outer member and the inner member. The recess is configured toaccept the flexible arm. The recess and the flexible arm are configuredto engage to resist rotational movement of the inner member relative tothe outer member.

According to further implementations of the present disclosure, asurgical device is disclosed that includes an outer member, an innermember, and at least one locking element. The inner member is movablewithin the outer member. The at least one locking element is configuredin a first arrangement to lock the inner member relative to the outermember and configured in a second arrangement to unlock the inner memberrelative to the outer member. Coupling the surgical device to a handpiece causes the at least one locking element to change from the firstarrangement to the second arrangement.

The above summary is not intended to represent each implementation orevery aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summarymerely provides an exemplification of some of the novel implementationsand features set forth herein. The above features and advantages, andother features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be readilyapparent from the following detailed description of representativeimplementations and modes for carrying out the present implementationswhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood from the following descriptionof exemplary implementations together with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a surgical device that includes suctioncontrol, according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is an exploded view of a hand piece of the surgical device ofFIG. 1A, according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1C is an exploded view of a drive housing of the surgical device ofFIG. 1A, according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the drive housing, according to someimplementations of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top views of an inner member, according to someimplementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a coupling of a drive housing and a handpiece, according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are top views of a proximal end of a drive housing,according to additional implementations of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6A-6D are top views of a drive housing, according to additionalimplementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is top view of a castellated region of a drive housing, accordingto some additional implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an inner member, according to someadditional implementations of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are top views of the inner member of FIG. 8, accordingto some implementations of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 10A through 10C are end views of a drive housing, according tosome additional implementations of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 10D and 10E are top views of the drive housing illustrated inFIGS. 10A through 10C, according to some additional implementations ofthe present disclosure;

FIGS. 10F and 10G are end views of the drive housing illustrated inFIGS. 10A through 10C, according to some additional implementations ofthe present disclosure;

FIGS. 10H and 10I are end views of the drive housing illustrated inFIGS. 10A through 10C, according to some additional implementations ofthe present disclosure; and

FIGS. 11A and 11B are perspective views of a surgical device, accordingto some additional implementations of the present disclosure.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific implementations thereof have been shown byway of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein.It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit thedisclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION

This disclosure is susceptible of implementation in many differentforms. There are shown in the drawings, and will herein be described indetail, representative implementations with the understanding that thepresent disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of theprinciples of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit thebroad aspects of the disclosure to the implementations illustrated. Tothat extent, elements and features that are disclosed, for example, inthe Abstract, Summary, and Detailed Description sections, but notexplicitly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into theclaims, singly or collectively, by implication, inference, or otherwise.For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specificallydisclaimed: the singular includes the plural and vice versa; and theword “including” means “including without limitation.”

According to the present disclosure, surgical devices are disclosed thatinclude a suction-control position. Such a surgical device includes adrive housing that is in the suction-control position prior to beingcoupled to a hand piece. Accordingly, a user of the surgical device doesnot need to manually lock the window prior to inserting an insertportion (such as including a cutting blade) of the surgical device intoa patient during a procedure. When the device is in the suction-controlposition, the suction can be controlled to resist fluid loss resultingin a loss of organ distention and to reduce or prevent increasedturbulence to maintain visualization. Accordingly, prior to insertingthe cutting blade, the user does not need to check by visual or othermode of inspection that the surgical device is in a window-closedposition.

In an embodiment, the drive housing of such a surgical device includesan inner member that is in a suction-control position. In thesuction-control position, the inner member's rotation is fixed, and theinner member cannot rotate relative to an outer member of the drivehousing unless the drive housing is coupled to a hand piece. The fixedrotation of the inner member relative to the outer member ensures thatthe drive housing will be in the suction-control position upon couplingthe drive housing to the hand piece, and can be in a suction-controlled(or closed) position upon inserting the device into a patient.

In alternate embodiments, by controlling when a motor of a hand piecethat drives the drive housing stops and starts, a surgical device canensure that, when the motor is stopped, the surgical device is in asuction-control position. Such control can be, for example, based on acounting of the number of rotations and only stopping the motor after apredefined number of rotations, or on a sensor in the hand piece.Accordingly, uncontrolled fluid loss and/or turbulence can be controlledat the start and stop of a procedure using the surgical devicesdisclosed herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodimentof a surgical device 10 that includes a suction-control configuration,according to some implementations of the present disclosure. Thesurgical device 10 includes a drive housing 101 and a hand piece 103. Aproximal end 101 a of the drive housing 101 couples the drive housing101 to a distal end 103 a of the hand piece 103. A distal end 101 b ofthe drive housing 101 couples to an insert portion 105. The insertportion 105 is configured to be inserted into an organ (e.g., a uterus)of a patient. According to some implementations, the insert portion 105is a cutting blade (not shown) (e.g., a cutter) that extends into thepatient. Alternatively, according to some implementations, the insertportion 105 accepts a cutting blade that extends into the patient.

Referring to FIG. 1B, FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the hand piece 103,according to some implementations of the present disclosure. The handpiece 103 includes a motor 131. The motor 131 drives (e.g., rotates) ashaft 133 according to an operation position (e.g., ON or OFF) of aswitch 135. The switch 135 also allows for manual ON/OFF control of thesuction and outflow. Although shown as a switch 135 on the hand piece103, in some embodiments, the switch 135 can be a footswitch controlledby the foot of the operator of the surgical device 10. Surrounding theshaft 133 is an edge or ring 137.

Referring to FIG. 1C, FIG. 1C is an exploded view of the drive housing101, according to some implementations of the present disclosure. Thedrive housing 101 includes an inner member 161 that is at leastpartially supported by and movable within an outer member 163 at theproximal end 101 a. The inner member 161 and the outer member 163together form a drive hub 101 c of the drive housing 101. The innermember 161 includes a drive coupler 165 that couples to the shaft 133,such as an end of the shaft 133 (e.g., a fork), when the drive housing101 couples to the hand piece 103. Operation of the motor 131 rotatesthe shaft 133, which rotates the drive coupler 165 and the inner member161 relative to the outer member 163. That is, with the drive housing101 coupled to the hand piece 103, the outer member 163 is rotatablyfixed to the hand piece 103, and the inner member 161 is free to rotatewithin the drive housing 101. Rotation of the inner member 161 causes,for example, the cutting blade within the insert portion 105 to rotateto provide a cutting action.

During a procedure with the surgical device 10, fluid is aspirated frominside the patient by the surgical device 10. Accordingly, the drivehousing 101, the hand piece 103, and the insert portion 105 include oneor more lumen (not shown) to transport fluid (including fluid andmaterial) from out of the patient (e.g., an organ of the patient, suchas the uterus). The distal end of the insert portion 105 (e.g., at thecutting blade) includes an opening 107 that allows fluid to flow intothe surgical device 10 based on suction. The hand piece 103 includes anoutlet 109 at a proximal end 103 b to allow the fluid to flow out of thesurgical device 10. One or more lumen of the drive housing 101, the handpiece 103, and the insert portion 105 are in fluid communication withthe opening 107 and the outlet 109 to transport the fluid through thesurgical device 10.

At least one lumen is formed by the inner diameter of the inner member161 within the proximal end 101 a of the drive housing 101. Fluid flowsfrom the insert portion 105 into the inner member 161. The fluid isaspirated from out of the inner member 161 through an opening 169. Thatis, the fluid flows out of the opening 169 when the opening 169 isaligned with a window 167 in the outer member 163. During operation ofthe surgical device 10, the inner member 161 rotates relative to theouter member 163, and the opening 169 periodically aligns with thewindow 167 to allow the fluid to flow out of the inner member 161. Theouter diameter of the inner member 161 and the inner diameter of theouter member 163 are sized so that fluid is obstructed and/or blockedfrom flowing out of the inner member 161 when the opening 169 is notaligned with the window 167.

Although a single window 167 is shown on the outer member 163, inalternate embodiments, the outer member 163 can include more than onewindow 167. Further, although only one opening 169 is shown on the innermember 161, according to some implementations, the inner member 161 caninclude more than one opening 169. According to some implementationswith multiple openings 169 and windows 167, the arrangement of theopenings 169 and the windows 167 at least allows for the openings 169 tobe aligned with the windows 167 in a first arrangement, and not aligned(or partially not aligned) with the windows in the second arrangement.The second arrangement resists and/or blocks the flow of fluid out ofthe inner member 161 based on the positions of the openings 169 relativeto the windows 167.

Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of the drivehousing 101, according to some implementations of the presentdisclosure. As described with respect to FIGS. 1A-1C, the drive housing101 includes the inner member 161 rotatably supported within the outermember 163. The outer member 163 includes the window 167. The innermember 161 includes the drive coupler 165 that couples to the shaft 133(FIG. 1B) of the hand piece 103 when the hand piece 103 is coupled tothe drive housing 101.

As described above, as the inner member 161 rotates within the outermember 163, the opening 169 (FIG. 1C) of the inner member 161periodically aligns with the window 167 to allow fluid (or fluid andmaterial) to flow out of the lumen formed by the inner member 161. Whenthe opening 169 is not aligned with the window 167, as shown in FIG. 2,the flow is obstructed or blocked.

According to some implementations, the periodic alignment andmisalignment of the opening 169 with the window 167 can be accomplishedaccording to movements other than rotating the inner member 161 relativeto the outer member 163. For example, according to some implementations,the inner member 161 can move linearly in a repetitive back and forthmotion relative to the outer member 163. Alternatively, the inner member161 can rock and/or tilt in an iterative, repetitive manner relative tothe outer member 163. In alternate embodiments, the inner member 161 canperform a combination of any one or more motions relative to the outermember 163, such as rotating while also moving in a linear back andforth motion. Thus, although the present disclosure discusses rotationof an inner member relative to an outer member, and locking/unlockingsuch motion, the present disclosure applies to other types and/orcombinations of motion of an inner member relative to an outer member,not limited to rotation, that allows for a periodic alignment of awindow and an opening to allow a periodic flow of fluid.

In some embodiments, the locking elements 201 a and 201 b extend fromthe inner member 161 and engage openings 203 a and 203 b in the outermember 163. According to some implementations, the locking elements 201a and 201 b can extend from the drive coupler 165. However, the lockingelements 201 a and 201 b can extend from other positions on the innermember 161 without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure.

When the locking elements 201 a and 201 b are engaged with the openings203 a and 203 b, the inner member 161 is rotatably locked relative tothe outer member 163. The locking elements 201 a and 201 b may bepositioned on the inner member 161 such that, when engaged with theopenings 203 a and 203 b, the opening 169 of the inner member 161 is notaligned with the window 167 of the outer member 163 to obstruct flow.Accordingly, when the locking elements 201 a and 201 b engaged with theopenings 203 a and 203 b, fluid flow out of the inner member 161 isblocked or restricted.

Although illustrated and described as openings, the openings 203 a and203 b may alternatively be indentations, ridges, grooves, or otherfeatures or combinations of features on the outer member 163 that areconfigured to engage the locking elements 201 a and 201 b.

According to some implementations of the present disclosure, the lockingelements 201 a and 201 b may instead be on the outer member 163 andextend towards the inner member 161. In alternate embodiments, theopenings 203 a and 203 b may instead be on the inner member 161 andengage the locking elements 201 a and 201 b extending from the outermember 163.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the innermember 161 can include only one locking element 201 (as shown in FIG.1C) and the outer member 163 can include only one opening 203 (as shownin FIG. 1C). In alternate embodiments, according to someimplementations, the inner member 161 can include more than two lockingelements 201 and the outer member 163 can include more than two openings203. Additionally, in implementations with multiple locking elements 201and openings 203, a subset of locking elements 201 can be located on andextend from the inner member 161, and a remaining subset of lockingelements 201 can be located on and extend from the outer member 163.Consequently, a subset of openings 203 can be on the outer member 163,and a remaining subset of openings 203 can be on the inner member 161.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top views of the inner member 161, according to someimplementations of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3A, the twolocking elements 201 a and 201 b can extend from opposite sides of thedrive coupler 165. FIG. 3A illustrates the inner member 161 and thelocking elements 201 a and 201 b in a locked arrangement with the outermember 163 (not shown), such as with the locking elements 201 a and 201b extending beyond the outer diameter of the inner member 161. Althoughnot shown, in the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3A, the lockingelements 201 a and 201 b engage the openings 203 a and 203 b in theouter member 163 and resist the inner member 161 from rotating relativeto the outer member 163.

FIG. 3B illustrates the locking elements 201 a and 201 b in an unlockedarrangement, such as with the locking elements 201 a and 201 b notextending beyond the outer diameter of the inner member 161. Althoughnot shown, in the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3B, the lockingelements 201 a and 201 b do not engage the openings 203 a and 203 b inthe outer member 163, which permits the inner member 161 to rotaterelative to the outer member 163.

The locking elements 201 a and 201 b are bendable flexural armsconfigured to change from the first arrangement of FIG. 3A to the secondarrangement of FIG. 3B, according to some implementations, the lockingelements 201 a and 201 b are bendable flexural arms. However, the shapeand configuration of the locking elements 201 a and 201 b can varywithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.Upon coupling the drive housing 101, including the inner member 161 andthe outer member 163, to the hand piece 103, the ring 137 on the handpiece 103 which surrounds the shaft 133 engages the locking elements 201a and 201 b while in the first arrangement of FIG. 3A and forces thelocking elements 201 a and 201 b to flex according to the secondarrangement of FIG. 3B. That is, the ring 137 of the hand piece 103forces the locking elements 201 a and 201 b to disengage from theopenings 203 a and 203 b, which rotatably unlocks the inner member 161relative to the outer member 163.

Accordingly, the drive housing 101 is initially assembled with the innermember 161 and locking elements 201 a and 201 b in the first arrangementengaged with openings 203 a and 203 b of the outer member 163, and theopening 169 locked in misalignment with the window 167. By beingassembled in the first arrangement, the inner member 161 cannot rotaterelative to the outer member 163 such that the opening 169 cannot alignwith the window 167. Accordingly, the drive housing 101 is maintained inan arrangement that obstructs aspiration of fluid (or fluid andmaterial) through the inner member 161 prior to coupling the drivehousing 101 to the hand piece 103. Referring to FIG. 4, coupling thedrive housing 101 to the hand piece 103 brings the ring 137 surroundingthe shaft 133 into engagement with the locking elements 201 a and 201 b,which unlocks the opening 169 from misalignment with the window 167 andallows the hand piece 103 to drive the inner member 161. According tothe foregoing, the drive housing 101 can be assembled in the firstarrangement. In the first arrangement, a user (e.g., doctor, clinician,technician, etc.) of the drive housing 101 does not need to manuallycontrol the position of the opening 169 relative to the window 167 priorto using the drive housing 101, such as prior to coupling the drivehousing 101 to the hand piece 103, prior to inserting the insert portion105 connected to the drive housing 101 into the patient, or afterinserting the insert portion 105 into the patient. According to someimplementations, the user also does not need to manually control theposition of the opening 169 relative to the window 167 prior towithdrawing the insert portion 105 from within the patient. Unwantedfluid loss as a result of uncontrolled aspiration of fluid is reduced orprevented because the opening 169 is blocked by the window 167 uponconnecting the drive housing 101 to the hand piece 103 and/orwithdrawing the insert portion 105 from the patient.

In alternate embodiments, the locking elements 201 a and 201 b can bepositioned on the inner member 161 such that, when engaged with theopenings 203 a and 203 b, the inner member 161 is in a position thatcauses the opening 107 at the distal end of the insert portion (e.g., anopening of a cutting blade) to be in a closed position. Accordingly, theaspiration of fluid (or fluid and tissue) can be reduced or prevented atthe opening 107 of the insert portion 105, in addition or in thealternative to having the opening 169 being misaligned with the window167 and blocked by the outer member 163. Similar arrangements withrespect to the opening 107 being obstructed or blocked apply to theadditional implementations of the present disclosure discussed below.

FIG. 5 illustrates an inner member 501 and an outer member 503arrangement of a drive housing 500, according to additionalimplementations of the present disclosure. The drive housing 500includes the inner member 501 rotatably supported by within the outermember 503. The inner member 501 can further translate relative to theouter member 503 along the rotational axis 505 of the inner member 501within the drive housing 500.

The inner member 501 includes a groove 507 in an outer surface thatextends around the entire outer circumference of the inner member 501.The inner member 501 also includes a recess 509 within a portion of theouter circumference of the inner member 501. At least a portion of thegroove 507 is in communication with the recess 509.

The outer member 503 includes a protrusion 511 that extends inward fromthe inner surface of the outer member 503. The outer member 503 alsoincludes a window 513, and the inner member 501 includes an opening 515(FIG. 5B). When the opening 515 is aligned with the window 513, fluid(or fluid and material) flows from out of the inner member 501 and outof the opening 515 through the window 513. When the opening 515 is notaligned with the window 513, the inner surface of the outer member 503obstructs or blocks fluid from flowing out of the opening 515.

In a first arrangement, illustrated in FIG. 5A, the protrusion 511engages the recess 509, which rotatably locks the inner member 501relative to the outer member 503. The recess 509 is positioned on theinner member 501 such that, when the protrusion 511 engages the recess509, the opening 515 in the inner member 501 is not aligned with thewindow 513. Accordingly, in the first arrangement, flow is obstructedand/or blocked.

In a second arrangement, illustrated in FIG. 5B, the protrusion 511engages the groove 507, which permits the inner member 501 to rotaterelative to the outer member 503. In the second arrangement, a handpiece (e.g., hand piece 103) can rotate the drive coupler 517 and theinner member 501 relative to the outer member 503. Accordingly, in thesecond arrangement, flow is permitted by the opening 515 periodicallyaligning with the window 513 based on the hand piece 103 rotating theinner member 501.

The drive housing 500 is assembled according to the first arrangementillustrated in FIG. 5A. Because the inner member 501 can translaterelative to the outer member 503 along the axis 505, coupling the drivehousing 500 to the hand piece 103 causes the protrusion 511 on the outermember 503 to move from being engaged with the recess 509 to beingwithin the groove 507 because the inner member 501 translates relativeto the outer member 503 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 5B. Thus,coupling the hand piece 103 to the drive housing 500 unlocks the innermember 501 relative to the outer member 503 and unlocks the opening 515relative to the window 513.

Accordingly, the drive housing 500 is maintained in an arrangement thatobstructs or blocks fluid (or fluid and material) from flowing out ofthe inner member 501 prior to coupling the drive housing 500 to the handpiece 103. Therefore, an operator of a surgical device (e.g., surgicaldevice 10) that includes the drive housing 500 does not need to manuallymisalign the opening 515 with the window 513 prior to coupling the drivehousing 500 to the hand piece 103, or prior to inserting an insertportion (e.g., insert portion 105) of the surgical device 10 comprisingthe drive housing 500 into the patient.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate a drive housing 600 that can replace the drivehousing 101 of the surgical device 10, according to additionalimplementations of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6A, thedrive housing 600 includes an outer member 601 and a free member 603.Both the outer member 601 and the free member 603 are hollow to allowfluid to pass therethrough. The free member 603 overlaps a proximal end601 a of the outer member 601 such that the free member 603 is rotatablysupported by the outer member 601 at the proximal end 601 a. The freemember 603 includes a window 605.

The proximal end 601 a of the outer member 601 facing the free member603 includes a proximal castellated region 607. The distal end of thefree member 603 facing the outer member 601 includes a distalcastellated region 609. The free member 603 translates about the axis ofrotation 611 relative to the outer member 601 to allow the proximalcastellated region 607 to engage/disengage the distal castellated region609. With the proximal castellated region 607 and the distal castellatedregion 609 engaged, the outer member 601 and the free member 603 arerotationally locked. With the proximal castellated region 607 and thedistal castellated region 609 disengaged, the outer member 601 and thefree member 603 are rotationally unlocked, as illustrated by the lockedarrow 613 a relating to the outer member 601 relative to the unlockedarrow 615 a relating to the free member 603 in FIG. 6A.

Referring to FIG. 6B, an inner member 617 is rotationally supported byone or both of the outer member 601 and the free member 603, and extendsthrough the outer member 601 and the free member 603. According to someimplementations, the inner member 617 of FIG. 6B can be identical to theinner member 161 such that the inner member 617 includes lockingelements 619 a and 619 b and a drive coupler 621, which are similar tolocking elements 201 a and 201 b and drive coupler 165. The inner member617 further includes an opening 623 (FIG. 6D) that allows fluid (orfluid and tissue) to pass out of the inner member 617 and through thewindow 605 of the free member 603, when the opening 623 and the window605 are aligned.

The free member 603 includes openings 625 a and 625 b that engage thelocking elements 619 a and 619 b. The locking elements 619 a and 619 bare positioned on the inner member 617 such that, when the lockingelements 619 a and 619 b engage the openings 625 a and 625 b, theopening 623 is blocked by the free member 603 and not aligned with thewindow 605.

Alternatively, as discussed with respect to FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B,according to some implementations of the present disclosure, the innermember 617 can include one or more locking elements 619 a and 619 b, andthe free member 603 can include one or more openings 625 a and 625 b.Additionally, in implementations with multiple locking elements 619 andopenings 625, a subset of locking elements 619 can be located on andextend from the inner member 617, and a remaining subset of lockingelements 619 can be located on and extend from the free member 603.Consequently, a subset of openings 625 can be on the free member 603,and a remaining subset of openings 625 can be on the inner member 617.Further, although described as an opening, the openings 625 a and 625 bcan alternatively be an indentation, a ridge, a groove, or other featureon the free member 603 (or inner member 617) that is configured toengage the locking elements 619 a and 619 b.

With the locking elements 619 a and 619 b engaged with the openings 625a and 625 b according to a first arrangement, the inner member 617 isrotationally locked relative to the free member 603. Further, with theproximal castellated region 607 and the distal castellated region 609disengaged, the inner member 617 is not rotationally locked with theouter member 601, as illustrated with respect to unlocked arrow 615 b.In this example arrangement, the inner member 617 is free to rotaterelative to the outer member 601. Accordingly, the drive coupler 621 canrotate upon contacting the shaft 133 of a hand piece (e.g., the handpiece 103) when coupling the drive housing 600 to the hand piece 103.According to this example arrangement, the start/stop or home positionof the shaft 133 of the hand piece 103 can be recognized, and the shaft133 does not need to be rotated to connect the hand piece 103 to thedrive housing 600. Because the start/stop or home position of the shaft133 of the hand piece 103 can be recognized, the motor 131 of the handpiece 103 can track the starting and stopping points of the inner member617 and can stop rotation of the inner member 617 so that the opening623 of the inner member 617 stops rotating in a blocked position by thefree member 603. Accordingly, both a starting point and a stopping pointof using the surgical device 10 within a patient can obstruct or blockaspiration of fluid (or fluid and tissue) to reduce or prevent unwantedfluid loss and/or distorted views caused by turbulence.

Referring to FIG. 6C, FIG. 6C shows the proximal castellated region 607engaged with the distal castellated region 609. With the lockingelements 619 a and 619 b engaged with the openings 625 a and 625 b, andthe proximal castellated region 607 engaged with the distal castellatedregion 609, the inner member 617 is rotationally locked with the freemember 603 and the outer member 601, as illustrated by locked arrows 613b and 613 c. The proximal castellated region 607 and the distalcastellated region 609 engage when the free member 603 and the innermember 617 translate toward the outer member 601 along the axis ofrotation 611. The translation occurs upon bringing the hand piece 103into contact with the free member 603 and the inner member 617. As shownin FIGS. 6A-6D, the castellated regions 607 and 609 are on the outsideof the outer member 601 and the free member 603, respectively, and arevisible to, for example, the user (e.g., operator) of the drive housing600.

Further, and as discussed with respect to FIG. 4 above, upon couplingthe hand piece 103 to the inner member 617 and the free member 603, thering 137 (not shown in FIG. 6C for illustrative convenience) of the handpiece 103 forces the locking elements 619 a and 619 b of the innermember 617 from a first arrangement, engaged with the openings 625 a and625 b, as shown in FIG. 6C, to a second arrangement, disengaged with theopenings 625 a and 625 b, as shown in FIG. 6D. According to the secondarrangement, as illustrated in FIG. 6D, the inner member 617 can rotaterelative to the free member 603, with the free member 603 rotationallylocked with the outer member 601. Thus, coupling the hand piece 103 tothe inner member 617 causes the locking elements 619 a and 619 b of theinner member 617 to disengage, which allows the hand piece 103 to drivethe inner member 617.

Accordingly, the drive housing 600 is initially assembled with the innermember 617 and the locking elements 619 a and 619 b in the firstarrangement with the free member 603 and the openings 625 a and 625 b,and the opening 623 locked in misalignment with the window 605 of thefree member 603. By being assembled in the first arrangement, a user ofthe surgical device 10 does not need to manually lock the drive housing600 by misaligning the opening 623 with the window 605. The drivehousing 600 assembled in the first arrangement obstructs or blocks fluid(or fluid and material) from flowing out of the inner member 617.Coupling the drive housing 600 to the hand piece 103, as illustrated inFIG. 6D, unlocks the locking elements 619 a and 619 b from the openings625 a and 625, which allows the hand piece 103 to drive the inner member617. Driving the inner member 617 allows the opening 623 to beperiodically aligned with the window 605 to allow fluid (or fluid andmaterial) to flow out of the inner member 617. According to theforegoing, the drive housing 600 can be assembled in the firstarrangement such that a user of the drive housing 600 (e.g., doctor,clinician, technician, etc.) does not need to manually lock the drivehousing 600 prior to coupling the drive housing 600 to a hand piece, orprior to inserting an insert portion coupled to the drive housing into apatient, while still obstructing unwanted fluid loss.

FIG. 7 shows a drive housing 700 including an alternative arrangement tothe drive housing 600, according to some implementations of the presentdisclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, rather than including the distalcastellated region 609 at the distal end, the free member 603 caninclude a castellated region 701 proximal to the distal end of the freemember 603. Similarly, rather than having the proximal castellatedregion 607 of the outer member 601 distal to the proximal end of theouter member 601, the outer member 601 can include a castellated region703 on the proximal end of the outer member 601. The distal end of thefree member 603 further can include an O-ring 705 that closes the distalend of the free member 603 relative to the outer member 601. The O-ring705 can be formed of a soft elastic material that can act as a spring.The arrangement of the drive housing 700 can otherwise be the same orsimilar to the arrangement of the drive housing 600 of FIGS. 6A-6D. Incontrast to the drive housing 600, the castellated regions 703 and 701are on the outside of the outer member 601 and the free member 603,respectively, and are not visible to, for example, the operator of thedrive housing 700 based on being enclosed by, for example, the O-ring705.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an inner member 801, according toadditional implementations of the present disclosure. The inner member801 includes a main body 801 a. Similar to the inner members discussedabove, the inner member 801 includes an opening 801 b within the mainbody 801 a that allows fluid to flow out of the inner portion of theinner member 801.

The inner member 801 also includes a recess 803 within a neck 805 at aproximal end. Alternatively, the inner member 801 can have the recess803 directly within the proximal end, without including the neck 805.The recess 803 can be formed to have a specific shape, such as the shapeof Phillips-head or crosshead. However, the shape of the recess 803 canvary without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure.

Similar to the inner member 161, locking elements 807 a and 807 b extendfrom the neck 805. Further, a shaft 809 extends from a center of therecess 803 and is configured to accept a drive coupler 811 via a hole813 within the drive coupler 811 that fits around the shaft 809. Theshaft 809 further includes an end 815 that resists the drive coupler 811from sliding off of the shaft 809.

The drive coupler 811 includes a protrusion 817. The shape of theprotrusion 817 is configured to complement the shape of the recess 803.However, alternatively, the inner member 801 can include the protrusion817 and the drive coupler 811 can include the recess 803. The drivecoupler 811 also includes a flange 821 that engages with a shaft (e.g.,shaft 133) of a hand piece (e.g., hand piece 103).

The protrusion 817 engages the recess 803 when the drive coupler 811 isat the distal end of the shaft 809 and rotationally locks the drivecoupler 811 to the inner member 801 based on the complementary shapes ofthe recess 803 and the protrusion 817. When the drive coupler 811 is notat the distal end of the shaft 809, the protrusion 817 does not engagethe recess 803 and the drive coupler 811 is free to rotate about theshaft 809 relative to the inner member 801.

The inner member 801 can be used in one or more of the drive housingsdisclosed herein as a replacement of the inner member. By way ofexample, like the inner member 161 of FIG. 2, the inner member 801 canbe rotatably supported within an outer member, and, in a firstarrangement, the locking elements 807 a and 807 b rotationally lock theinner member 801 relative to the outer member. However, according to theconfiguration described above, the drive coupler 811 is free to rotateabout the shaft 809 despite the inner member 801 being rotationallylocked relative to the outer member when the protrusion 817 is notengaged with the recess 803.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a first arrangement (FIG. 9A) and a secondarrangement (FIG. 9B) of the inner member 801, according to someimplementations of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9A, theinner member 801 is in a first arrangement with the protrusion 817 notengaged with the recess 803. In the first arrangement, the drive coupler811 is free to rotate about the shaft 809 relative to the main body 801a of the inner member 801. The locking elements 807 a and 807 b,however, can be engaged with openings in an outer member (not shown)rotatably supporting the inner member 801, to lock the main body 801 aof the inner member 801 rotationally relative to the outer member.

Referring to FIG. 9B, upon coupling a hand piece 103 to the inner member801 with the inner member 801 within a drive housing (e.g., drivehousing 101), the shaft 133 of the hand piece 103 engages with theflange 821 and forces the drive coupler 811 towards the distal end ofthe shaft 809. Upon the drive coupler 811 reaching the distal end of theshaft 809, the protrusion 817 engages the recess 803. Further, the rim819 of the drive coupler 811 contacts the locking elements 807 a and 807b and causes the locking elements 807 a and 807 b to disengage from thefirst arrangement such that the inner member 801 becomes rotationallyfree relative to an outer member. With the protrusion 817 engaged withthe recess 803, the hand piece 103 can rotate the inner member 801relative to the outer member to operate a surgical device.

According to the drive coupler 811 initially being free to rotaterelative to the inner member 801 prior to the hand piece 103 beingcoupled to the inner member 801, the drive coupler 811 is free to rotateto align the flange 821 with the shaft 133 of the hand piece 103. Withthis example arrangement, the start/stop or home position of the shaft133 of the hand piece 103 can be recognized, and the shaft 133 does notneed to be rotated to connect the hand piece 103 to the inner member801. Because the start/stop or home position of the shaft 133 of thehand piece 103 can be recognized, the motor 131 of the hand piece 103can track the starting and stopping points of the inner member 801 andcan stop rotation of the inner member 801 so that the opening 801 b ofthe inner member 801 stops rotating in a blocked position the outermember (e.g., not aligned with a window in the outer member).Accordingly, a stopping point of using the surgical device, includingthe inner member 801, can block aspiration of fluid (or fluid andtissue) to reduce or prevent unwanted fluid loss and/or distorted viewscaused by turbulence after stopping the rotation.

FIGS. 10A-10I show a drive hub 1000 of a drive housing, according toadditional implementations of the present disclosure. Specifically,FIGS. 10A-10C, 10F, and 10G-10I show perspective views of a proximal endof the drive hub 1000. FIGS. 10D and 10E show top-down views of thedrive hub 1000 in FIGS. 10A-10C. Referring to FIG. 10A, the drive hub1000 includes an inner member 1001 rotatably supported within an outermember 1003. The inner member 1001 includes a drive coupler 1005 forcoupling the inner member 1001 to a shaft (e.g., shaft 133) of a handpiece (e.g., hand piece 103) to rotate the inner member 1001.

The outer member 1003 includes a flexible arm 1007 that extends from theouter member 1003. The flexible arm 1007 can be formed of variousmaterials, such as the material of the outer member 1003 and/or one ormore additional materials, such as metals, plastics, rubber, etc.According to a first arrangement, the flexible arm 1007 extends into arecess 1009 in the outer surface of the inner member 1001. With theflexible arm 1007 extending into the recess 1009 in the firstarrangement, the flexible arm 1007 engages a surface 1011 a partiallydefining the recess 1009 when the inner member 1001 is rotated (or isattempted to be rotated) clockwise relative to the outer member 1003(e.g., FIG. 10A). Thus, the surface 1011 a resists the inner member 1001from being rotated clockwise with the flexible arm 1007 extending intothe recess 1009 in the first arrangement.

When the inner member 1001 is rotated counterclockwise relative to theouter member 1003 in the first arrangement, the surface 1011 b partiallydefining the recess 1009 contacts the flexible arm 1007 (FIG. 10B). Theflexible arm 1007 applies a threshold resistance to resist furtherrotating the inner member 1001 counterclockwise. However, a sufficientforce exceeds the threshold resistance generated by the flexible arm1007 against the surface 1011 b and the surface 1011 b causes theflexible arm 1007 to flex, which permits the inner member 1001 to rotateat least one rotation in a counterclockwise direction relative to theouter member 1003 (FIG. 10C). The threshold resistance can be sufficientto resist the inner member 1001 from freely rotating in thecounterclockwise direction unless the inner member 1001 is coupled to ahand piece 103. By way of example, when coupled to a hand piece 103, thehand piece 103 can provide the sufficient force to exceed the thresholdresistance applied by the flexible arm 1007 and cause the flexible arm1007 to flex.

The flexible arm 1007 and the recess 1009 are positioned on the outermember 1003 and the inner member 1001, respectively, such that, when theflexible arm 1007 engages the recess 1009, an opening 1017 (FIG. 10E) inthe inner member 1001, which allows fluid to pass out of (or into) theinner member 1001 is blocked by the outer member 1003 or not alignedwith a window 1019 (FIG. 10D) in the outer member 1003.

Accordingly, the flexible arm 1007 and the recess 1009 engage tomaintain the inner member 1001 and the outer member 1003 in the firstarrangement to obstruct fluid flow through the opening 1017. Theflexible arm 1007 and the recess 1009 engaging resists the inner member1001 from rotating clockwise relative to the outer member 1003 andresists the opening 1017 from becoming aligned with the window 1019 inresponse to a clockwise movement of the inner member 1001 relative tothe outer member 1003. Further, the threshold resistance of the flexiblearm 1007 engaged with the recess 1009 resists the inner member 1001 fromrotating counterclockwise relative to the outer member 1003 and resiststhe opening 1017 from becoming aligned with the window 1019 in responseto a counterclockwise movement of the inner member 1001 relative to theouter member 1003. When a sufficient force is applied on the flexiblearm 1007, such as by a force applied by rotation of the shaft 133 of anattached hand piece 103, the flexible arm 1007 flexes and allows theinner member 1001 to rotate clockwise for at least one rotation, or atleast during application of the sufficient force.

Based on the foregoing, the drive hub 1000 can be assembled with theflexible arm 1007 inserted into the recess 1009 and the opening 1017 inthe inner member 1001 not aligned with a window 1019 in the outer member1003. According to this example arrangement, fluid is obstructed orblocked from flowing out of (or into) the inner member 1001 through theopening 1017 of the inner member 1001 and the window 1019 of the outermember 1003. By engaging the surface 1011 a and requiring a thresholdforce to flex, the flexible arm 1007 resists the inner member 1001 fromrotating relative to the outer member 1003 and the opening 1017 frombecoming aligned with the window 1019 in the outer member 1003 until ahand piece 103 is connected to the drive hub 1000. Accordingly, properfluid and suction control can be maintained upon inserting a surgicaldevice (e.g., surgical device 10) into a patient with the opening 1017in a closed position and without a user of the surgical device 10 havingto manually close the opening 1017. Moreover, with the recess 1009resisting clockwise rotation of the inner member 1001 relative to theouter member 1003, the drive coupler 1005 can rotate the shaft 133 ofthe hand piece 103 to align and couple the hand piece 103 to the drivehub 1000. That is, the flexible arm 1007 resisting the inner member 1001from rotating in a clockwise arrangement allows an operator to use thedrive coupler 1005 to rotate the shaft 133 of the hand piece 103 intoalignment with the inner member 1001, while not changing the position ofthe opening 1017 relative to the window 1019.

In an embodiment, the arrangement of the flexible arm 1007 and therecess 1009 is described above with respect to allowing counterclockwiserotation of the inner member 1001 upon the application of a sufficientforce and resisting clockwise rotation of the inner member 1001. In analternate embodiment, the arrangement of the flexible arm 1007 canchange to allow the reverse rotational relationship, without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the inner member 1001 is locked longitudinally withrespect to the outer member 1003 along the axis of rotation. Inalternate embodiments, the inner member 1001 is configured to translateabout the axis of rotation relative to the outer member 1003. Thetranslation of the inner member 1001 relative to the outer member 1003allows the recess 1009 to translate relative to the flexible arm 1007.

Referring to FIG. 10F, according to some implementations, the innermember 1001 can be configured to partially translate into the outermember 1003 such that the flexible arm 1007 fully extends beyond thecircumferential edge of the inner member 1001 and engages the proximalsurface 1021 of the inner member 1001. In such an arrangement, the innermember 1001 is free to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise relative tothe outer member 1003. Further, such an arrangement resists the innermember 1001 from being withdrawn from the outer member 1003 by engagingthe proximal surface 1021 of the inner member 1001. By way of example,and without limitation, such an arrangement can be configured to occurbased on the drive hub 1000 engaging a hand piece (e.g., hand piece 103)and the hand piece causing the inner member 1001 to translate into theouter member 1003.

Referring to FIG. 10G, according to some implementations, the innermember 1001 can be configured to partially translate out of the outermember 1003 such that the flexible arm 1007 engages the circumferentialedge 1023 of the inner member 1001 and does not re-engage with therecess 1009 upon the inner member 1001 rotating. By way of example, andwithout limitation, such an arrangement as shown in FIG. 10G can beconfigured to occur based on the drive hub 1000 engaging a hand piece(e.g., hand piece 103) and the hand piece causing the inner member 1001to translate out of the outer member 1003.

According to some alternative implementations, the flexible arm 1007(FIGS. 10F and 10G) and the recess 1009 (FIGS. 10F and 10G) can bemodified to provide direction-independent resistance to obstruct theinner member 1001 (FIGS. 10F and 10G) from rotating relative to theouter member 1003 (FIGS. 10F and 10G). Specifically, FIGS. 10H and 101,show a drive hub 1000′ that is identical to the drive hub 1000 of FIGS.10A-10C except that the outer member 1003′ of the drive hub 1000′includes a flexible arm 1025 that projects generally perpendicularlytowards the surface of the inner member 1001′, rather than on an angleas the flexible arm 1007 in FIGS. 10A-10C. Further, the inner member1001′ of the drive hub 1000′ includes a recess 1027 that that acceptsthe end of the flexible arm 1025, rather than the recess 1009 in FIGS.10A-10C. According to some implementations, the end of the flexible arm1025 can have a shape that corresponds with the shape of the recess1027.

With the flexible arm 1025 engaged within the recess 1027, asillustrated in FIG. 10H, the rigidity of the flexible arm 1025 providesresistance to the inner member 1001′ rotating relative to the outermember 1003′ both in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwisedirection. The resistance obstructs the inner member 1001′ from rotatingrelative to the outer member 1003′ prior to the drive hub 1000′ beingcoupled to a hand piece (e.g., hand piece 103).

Once the drive hub 1000′ is coupled to a hand piece, the motor of thehand piece can provide sufficient rotational force to overcome theresistance provided by the flexible arm 1025 engaged within the recess1027 and rotate the inner member 1001′ relative to the outer member1003′, as shown in FIG. 10I (e.g., both in a clockwise direction and ina counterclockwise direction). The rotational force disengages theflexible arm 1025 from the recess 1027. Because of the configuration ofthe flexible arm 1025 and the recess 1027, the hand piece can rotate theinner member 1001′ clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the outermember 1003′ by applying the sufficient rotational force in eitherdirection.

Accordingly, the flexible arm 1025 and the recess 1027 obstruct theinner member 1001′ from rotating relative to the outer member 1003′until the drive hub 1000′ engages the hand piece and the hand pieceprovides the sufficient rotational force. The drive hub 1000′ can beassembled with the flexible arm 1025 engaged within the recess 1027 sothat, prior to use, a user does not need to manually lock inner member1001′ relative to the outer member 1003′ with the opening (e.g., opening1017′) misaligned with the window (e.g., window 1019′).

According to some implementations, the resistance provided by theflexible arm 1025 engaged within the recess 1027 may be sufficient toallow a user of the drive hub 1000′ to rotate a shaft of the hand piece(e.g., shaft 133). Specifically, the threshold of resistance provided bythe flexible arm 1025 engaged within the recess 1027 may be greater thanany resistance associated with manually rotating the shaft of the handpiece using the drive coupler 1005′ of the drive hub 1000′. Thus, a usercan preliminarily engage the drive coupler 1005′ with the shaft of thehand piece and rotate the drive hub 1000′ to rotate the shaft withoutthe flexible arm 1025 disengaging from the recess 1027; such as duringalignment of the drive hub 1000 with the hand piece for engagement. Theuser can rotate the drive hub 1000′ in both directions based on theconfiguration of the flexible arm 1025 and the recess 1027. Oncealigned, the motor of the hand piece can overcome the threshold ofresistance provided by the flexible arm 1025 and the recess 1027 torotate the inner member 1001′.

Although shown in FIGS. 10H and 101 as having a specific shape andarrangement, the flexible arm 1025 and the recess 1027 can have variousdifferent shapes and arrangements while still being capable of providinga direction-independent threshold of resistance to obstruct the innermember 1001′ from rotating relative to the outer member 1003′. By way ofexample, and without limitation, the end of the flexible arm 1025 andthe recess 1027 may have a square shape, a rectangular shape, a circularshape, an ovular shape, a triangular shape, etc. Further, the shape ofthe end of the flexible arm 1025 may be different than the shape of therecess 1027, but still configured to engage the recess 1027. Forexample, the shape of the end of the flexible arm 1025 may be circularand the shape of the recess 1027 may be rectangular.

The depth of the recess 1027 can vary depending on the resistance to begenerated by the engagement of the flexible arm 1025 and the recess1027. Generally, the depth of the recess 1027 and the depth that theflexible arm 1025 engages within the recess are sufficient torotationally lock the inner member 1001′ relative to the outer member1003′ prior to use (e.g., during shipment, transportation, etc. andprior to coupling the drive hub 1001′ to the hand piece). By way ofexample, and without limitation, the depth of the recess can be lessthan five mm, less than three mm, less than two mm, or less than one mm.However, the depth can vary without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present disclosure.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show a front view (FIG. 11A) and a rear view (FIG.11B) of a surgical device 1100, in accord with additionalimplementations of the present disclosure. The surgical device 1100includes features that are similar to the features of the surgicaldevice 10 discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1A-1C. Accordingly, thesurgical device 1100 includes a drive housing 1101 that couples to ahand piece 1103. The hand piece 1103 includes a shaft 1105. The handpiece 1103 can optionally include a ring 1107 around the shaft 1105.

The drive housing 1101 includes an inner member 1109 rotatably supportedwithin an outer member 1111 at a proximal end 1101 a of the drivehousing 1101. The inner member 1109 includes an opening 1113, and theouter member 1111 includes a window 1115, e.g., similar to thearrangement of the inner member 161 and the outer member 163 of thesurgical device 10. The inner member 1109 also includes a drive coupler1117 that couples to the shaft 1105 of the hand piece 1103 when thedrive housing 1101 and the hand piece 1103 are coupled. An insertportion 1119 couples to a distal end 1101 b of the drive housing 1101and is inserted into a patient during a procedure using the surgicaldevice.

Rather than the inner member 1109 and the outer member 1111 includingthe locking elements 201 a and 201 b and the openings 203 a and 203 b,respectively, of the surgical device 10, according to someimplementations, the outer member 1111 includes a flexure 1121. At oneend, the flexure 1121 extends from the outer member 1111 towards theproximal end 1101 a of the drive housing 1101. At the other end, theflexure 1121 engages with the inner member 1109 in a first arrangementto rotatably lock the inner member 1109 relative to the outer member1111 in the first arrangement. The flexure 1121 engages with an element1123 on an outer diameter of the inner member 1109. The engagement ofthe flexure 1121 with the element 1123 rotationally locks the innermember 1109 relative to the outer member 1111 in a first arrangement.The element 1123 can be, for example, a ridge, a recess, etc. Theelement 1123 is positioned on the inner member 1109 such that, when theflexure 1121 engages with the element 1123, the opening 1113 of theinner member 1109 is not aligned with the window 1115 of the outermember 1111 to obstruct the flow of fluid (or fluid and material) fromout of (or into) the inner member 1109.

The hand piece 1103 includes a ridge 1125 on an inner diameter of thehand piece 1103. Upon coupling the drive housing 1101 to the hand piece1103, the ridge 1125 engages the flexure 1121 and causes the flexure1121 to disengage from the element 1123 on the inner member 1109.Accordingly, the ridge 1125 forces the flexure 1121 into a secondarrangement that is disengaged from the element 1123. In the secondarrangement, the inner member 1109 is free to rotate relative to theouter member 1111 based on the flexure 1121 disengaging from the element1123.

The drive housing 1101 includes a latch 1127 (FIG. 11B) that engages aslot 1129 on the hand piece 1103. Engagement of the latch 1127 with theslot 1129 locks the hand piece 1103 to the drive housing 1101rotationally and longitudinally along the center axis of the surgicaldevice 1100.

The positions of the flexure 1121 and the drive coupler 1117 on thedrive housing and the positions of the shaft 1105 and the ridge 1125 onthe hand piece 1103 are configured so that the drive coupler 1117engages the shaft 1105 before the ridge 1125 engages the flexure 1121when the drive housing 1101 is brought into engagement with the handpiece 1103. Accordingly, the inner member 1109 remains rotationallylocked when the drive coupler 1117 engages the shaft 1105, which allowsa user to rotate the drive housing 1101 relative to the hand piece 1103to rotate the shaft 1105 based on rotation of the drive coupler 1117.Further, the latch 1127 is configured to remain in an unlocked positionrelative to the slot 1129 during rotation of the drive housing 1101relative to the hand piece 1103 to allow the shaft 1105 and the drivecoupler 1117 to engage and align, and the latch 1127 to align with theslot 1129.

Upon the shaft 1105 and the drive coupler 1117 engaging and aligning,and the latch 1127 aligning with the slot 1129, the drive housing 1101and the hand piece 1103 can be brought into further engagement, whichcauses the ridge 1125 to engage the flexure 1121 and unlock the innermember 1109 from the outer member 1111. In this unlocked position, thelatch 1127 locks with the slot 1129. Accordingly, the hand piece 1103 isconfigured to drive (e.g., rotate) the inner member 1109 relative to theouter member 1111 to drive the insert portion 1119.

In an embodiment, the drive housing 1101 is initially assembled with theinner member 1109 in the first arrangement with the flexure engaged withthe inner member 1109, and the opening 1113 locked in misalignment withthe window 1115. By being assembled in the first arrangement, therotation of the inner member 1101 relative to the outer member 1111 isresisted such that the opening 1113 is obstructed from aligning with thewindow 1115. Accordingly, the drive housing 1101 is maintained in anarrangement that obstructs aspiration of fluid (or fluid and material)through the inner member 1101 prior to coupling the drive housing 1101to the hand piece 1103. Coupling the drive housing 1101 to the handpiece 1103 brings the ridge 1125 into engagement with the flexure, whichrotationally unlocks the opening 1113 relative to the window 1115 andallows the hand piece 1103 to drive the inner member 1109.

According to the foregoing, the drive housing 1101 can be assembled inthe first arrangement such that a user (e.g., doctor, clinician,technician, etc.) of the drive housing 1101 does not need to manuallycontrol the position of the opening 1113 relative to the window 1115prior to using the drive housing 1101, such as prior to coupling thedrive housing 1101 to the hand piece 1103, prior to inserting the insertportion 1119 connected to the drive housing 1101 into the patient, afterinserting the insert portion 1119 into the patient, or prior towithdrawing the insert portion 1119 from within the patient. Unwantedfluid loss as a result of uncontrolled aspiration of fluid is reduced orprevented because the opening 1113 is initially misaligned with thewindow 1115 until connecting the drive housing 1101 to the hand piece1103 and operating the drive housing 1101 to align the window 1115 withthe opening 1113.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one ormore particular implementations, those skilled in the art will recognizethat many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the present disclosure. The above describedimplementations, and obvious variations thereof, are contemplated asfalling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical device, comprising: an end effectorassembly including an outer member and an inner member movable withinand relative to the outer member, wherein, in a first arrangement of theend effector assembly, the inner and outer members are locked relativeto one another to inhibit a relative movement therebetween and, in asecond arrangement of the end effector assembly, the inner and outermembers are unlocked relative to one another to permit the relativemovement therebetween; and a handpiece configured to releasably engagethe end effector assembly, wherein engagement of the handpiece with theend effector assembly causes relative translation between the inner andouter members to thereby change the end effector assembly from the firstarrangement to the second arrangement.
 2. The surgical device accordingto claim 1, wherein the engagement of the handpiece with the endeffector assembly causes the inner member to translate relative to theouter member to thereby change the end effector assembly from the firstarrangement to the second arrangement.
 3. The surgical device accordingto claim 1, further comprising at least one locking element associatedwith the end effector assembly, the at least one locking element movablefrom a locked condition to an unlocked condition to thereby change theend effector assembly from the first arrangement to the secondarrangement.
 4. The surgical device according to claim 3, wherein the atleast one locking element is flexible.
 5. The surgical device accordingto claim 3, wherein the handpiece includes an edge that engages the atleast one locking element to move the at least one locking element fromthe locked condition to the unlocked condition upon engagement of thehandpiece with the end effector assembly.
 6. The surgical deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein at least one recess is defined within theouter member and wherein the at least one locking element engages the atleast one recess of the outer member in the first arrangement.
 7. Thesurgical device according to claim 3, wherein the end effector assemblyfurther includes a coupler connected with the inner member, and whereinthe at least one locking element extends from the coupler to engage theouter member in the first arrangement.
 8. The surgical device accordingto claim 7, wherein the coupler is configured to engage a drive shaft ofthe handpiece upon engagement of the handpiece with the end effectorassembly.
 9. The surgical device according to claim 8, wherein thehandpiece further includes a motor configured to drive rotation of thedrive shaft.
 10. The surgical device according to claim 1, wherein theinner member includes an elongated inner shaft defining an opening andwherein the outer member includes an elongated outer shaft defining awindow, and wherein the opening and the window are misaligned relativeto one another in the first arrangement of the end effector assembly.11. The surgical device according to claim 10, wherein the elongatedinner shaft includes a cutter in communication with the opening.
 12. Thesurgical device according to claim 1, wherein the relative movement isrotation.